Bulawayo hosts ACE creative entrepreneurship programme to equip young creatives with digital skills

TODAY, emerging artists aged between 18 and 30 from the Matabeleland region are set to check in at Eveline High School for a three-day bootcamp where they will be equipped with the digital, entrepreneurial, and collaborative skills to thrive in the cut-throat global creative economy.

The programme dubbed the “Artist Creative Entrepreneurship” (ACE) is a collaboration between Bulawayo-based talent-nurturing hub, the Centre for Talent Development (CTD) and the US Embassy in Zimbabwe.

The programme will see the artists engaging in different activities and sessions, including networking, masterclasses, team-building, personal and business branding, social media campaigns, digital tools for artists, AI content generation, and a content creation challenge. This will be under the watchful eyes of different facilitators including CTD programmes officer, Thabani Hillary Moyo, Gift Chakuvinga, Gugulethu Matshazi-Dube, Natasha Musabayane, Joel Munetsi, Lucian “Black Orient” Rubaya, Bridget Sayers, as well as guest facilitators together with Le Kedra, and Jay Evans.

In an interview, Moyo expressed his excitement at the commencement of the boot camp.
“I’m excited and at the same time, I have my fears. It’s unsettling because as CTD, we are moving away from our everyday activities into a new zone altogether, aiming to advance and develop artists from different genres and backgrounds. It calls for diligence and serious commitment. It also stretches me as an individual as I have to make sure everything is in place. Dealing with service providers and negotiating for the best service for the artists. Our participants have expectations and I’m asking myself whether we will be able to meet them,” he shared.

He also said the bootcamp will see out-of-site guest facilitators popping by.
“For this programme, we have facilitators camping with us, but here and there, we’ll be having guest facilitators. For today, our guests will be Raisedon Baya, Philani Amadeus Nyoni, Rachel Voko and Asaph Afrika,” he shared.

He also mentioned that the ACE programme, “represents a pivotal moment for Zimbabwean artists. By equipping these artistes with tools and connections they need to thrive, we’re not only empowering individuals, but also contributing to the growth of the creative economy in our country.”

All things being equal, the ACE project, targeting 45 emerging artists is set to incorporate both virtual and in-person activities from March to November this year and will look to roll out a series of activities, including the establishment of three physical creative hubs in Bulawayo, Gwanda, and Lupane, along with a virtual hub for training and collaboration. – Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu